John hoyt



J; HOYT.

Truck for Mo ving Pianos. No. 87,935.- Patented March 16, 1869.

nvena r,

W757 nens's;

tinitd 'JOHN HOYT, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR" TO CHARLES FRENCH, OF SAME PLACE. Letters Patent No. 87,935, dated March 16, 1869,

nvrpnovnn TRUCK roza MOVING PIANOS m The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent; and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HOYT, of Davenport, in the county of Scott, in the State of Iowa, have invented a. new and useful Improvement on Trucks for- Moving Pianos; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,

' run through any ordinary door, and put into the wagon,

without having its surface rubbed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it. 7

Projecting up from each axle, near each wheel, are studs, B B. The tops of these studs are cushioned, and are high enough, so that they will just go under the piano.

Near the top of these studs are mortised or fastened cross-beams D D, on which the board, or table it rests.

Into the cross-piece D, I put one or more pins 0' 7;, shown by dotted lines, fi ing holes, in the under side of the board a, and prevent it from slipping endwise.

The board, or table a is fastened to the trucks by means of hooks c e, or equivalents, passing through,

or fastened to each of the studs B B, and catch on the top side of the board, or table a.

Extending across the board, or table a are two or more cushions or blocks, covered with buckskin or other soft material. Said cushions, or blocks are made so as to be even with the 'cushions on the ends of the studs B B.

Through one end of the .board, or table a are two slots, near. each corner. Through these slots, the straps d d are put, and fastened, so as to form handles, with which to lift that end of the trucks,.when it is desired to ascend or descend steps or stairs, or change the direction of the trucks.

At the other end of the board, or table a is an angleiron, or brace'c c, which is made insuch a shape that the piano shall press against it at the middle, and yet leave a space on either side, between the angle-iron and the end of the piano, sufiicient to allow the hands to enter, to lift that end, when necessary.

I make one or more rock-sbafis, f j, which are fastened to the board a, so that they will turn in the direction of the dotted lines.

more holes, or'their equivalents.

The rock-shafts are made so that, when the piano rests on its edge, one of the arms will be on each side of the piano, and thus keep the piano' from falling or slipping oh the trucks. I

These arms ff should be cushioned or covered with buckskin, or other soft material, and should be put be: tween the piano and the arms.

, The boards g g prevent the piano from falling over.

The angle-iron c c prevents the piano from slipping out at that end; and at the other end, I make one or Through these holes I put the pin h, or its equivalent, to prevent the piano from slipping out at that end.

The piano having been locked or tied, I take off the boards 9 g, and turn the rock-shafts ff down, in the position of the dotted lines, and then place the trucks to the back of the piano. Then one man takesv hold of each of the front legs, and lifts up the piano, as though he were going to tip it over; but, when. the back corner strikes the trucks, it lifts it off the forefeet, and brings the piano with its back edge on the trucks.

Then the feet and tre'adle are taken off.

I then turn the rock-shafts ff up to their right position, and bring one arm on each side of the boards 9 g, and put in the pin it, or its equivalent, and the piano is ready to be move When it is necessary to change the direction, lift up one end, by means of the angle-irou c c, or handles d d, as the case may be, and carry it around and set I it down. g. 3, which enter correspond- When it is necessary to go up or down stairs or steps, one man lifts his end up, or lets it down one step, as the" case may be, and then the other man his end.

When it gets to the wagon, its board, which is about the same height as the wagon, is unfastened from the trucks, by turning the back hooks, or hasps e 6, so that they will reach to hold the board on to its trucks, and then the board a and piano are slid off the trucks into the wagon, so that the piano cannot come in contact with any hard surface, from the time it leaves the room until it reaches its place of destination.

It will be noticed that the axles are so near together that when one end is lifted, that part which projects by the other axle helps to balance the end that is lifted, so that one man has really to lift not more than one-third of the'weight of the piano.

With these trucks, two men can handle a piano with far greater ease and safety than five men can without them. Each man has to lift such a small part, that he has no chance to get tired. But, by the old way, if one man gives out, it brings a greater burden on the others.

These trucks will secure, to the man who has them, the chance tomove all the pianos in the city or town where he is, because he can do it cheaper.

Thus, my invention commends itself for cheapness,

simplicity, durability, and the ease withwhieh it does 2. The angle-iron a, board, or table a, pin h, sideits work. boards g g, or their equivalents, when forming a box I do not claim the trucks, or the use of the same. ol'crib-arrangement, for keeping the piano on the trucks. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure J. HOYT. by Letters Patent, is- Witnesses: 1. The trucks B B, beard a, and angle-iron c c, or CHAS. FRENCH,

its equivalent, combined, when used in moving-pianos. O. B. KING. 

